7 Writing Tools to Improve in English – Writing in English is not child’s play. Often a simple activity, like writing an email, a CV, or a post on social media, becomes a titanic undertaking if you are not sure that you have a good command of the foreign language.
However, various correction tools come to our aid, thanks to which you will be able to forget oversights and mistakes, avoiding the bad figures you would really like to do without. You will just have to choose the software that suits you best!
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7 Content Writing Tools to Improve in English
1. Grammarly
What it is and how it works: Grammarly is an application that recognizes and corrects any spelling, grammatical, punctuation and style errors, adapting to any type of English language text. It also has a useful function for detecting plagiarism.
You can use this service on your browser as an extension, by downloading the app available for free on iOS and Android, by integrating the appropriate plug-ins for Google Docs, Microsoft Word and Outlook or by installing the desktop version for Windows.
Price: you can choose to take advantage of the free version, which is very basic, or take out a subscription. The Premium plan offers three different options (from 12, 20, and 30 dollars per month), while for the Business version, designed for companies and therefore more professional, the cost varies based on the number of users by which it is used ( 3 to 149) and the method of payment, monthly or yearly.
Pros and cons: It is simple to install and use, highly customizable according to your goals and allows you to learn from your mistakes. However, users complain about the excessive cost and too much advertising to make a paid upgrade, as well as the fact that it only works with an Internet connection.
Final judgment: definitely recommended for those who want to make their texts in English more professional, regardless of the type of content. Note, however, the extremely limited functions of the free version.
2. Antidote
What it is and how it works: Antidote is software designed to correct grammatical and spelling errors in your English and French texts, complete with dictionaries, language guides and learning tools.
You can access the service directly online on any mobile device, by downloading the free application available exclusively for the iOS operating system or by installing the software (Antidote 10).
Price: includes two paid plans, Antidote + Personal and Antidote + Family (for 5 users), respectively at 59 and 99 euros per year, but also offers the possibility to purchase the software (compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux ) to be installed on your computer at a cost of 119 euros, with one year of technical assistance.
Pros and cons: The excellent correction in terms of syntax and punctuation is much appreciated, the function of recognizing the language used which, if absent, could create confusion and finally offline operation. Probably, the only disadvantage is the impossibility of subscribing to a monthly subscription, something that could discourage those who usually opt for a deferred payment.
Final judgment: recommended for any professional, especially editors and reviewers, but also for those who deal with documents containing sensitive data and prefer to work offline. Excellent value for money.
3. Hemingway Editor
What it is and how it works: Hemingway is an editor that, unlike Grammarly and Antidote, is focused on detecting syntactic complexity and therefore has the aim of simplifying the sentences of your English texts as much as possible by making them clearer, more concise and definitely more pleasant to read.
It is very simple to use, as it will be enough to paste or write the text directly on the home page of the official website. If you prefer to work offline, you can choose whether to download the application available for free on all iOS devices or install the program on your computer, both Mac and Windows.
Price: does not include any type of subscription, since it can be used for free online by entering the text directly on the website. The license fee to purchase the software is $19.
Pros and cons: the ability to switch from writing to editing mode with a simple click and the advantage of exporting your text directly to WordPress or Medium are useful, all with a clean and easy-to-use interface. However, it lacks grammar and spelling proofing tools, does not consider the context of the content, and tends to oversimplify the syntax.
Final judgment: unless there is a need to work offline, the free version is recommended. Overall it is a good program, but to be perfect, it should be equipped with additional features to correct any grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.
4. Ginger Software
What it is and how it works : Ginger is a valid Similar to Grammarly which, in addition to acting as a grammar and spelling checker, allows you to convert your text into speech and translate it into more than 40 languages.
It can be used by adding the extension on your browser, integrating it into Word or Outlook or by downloading the program for Windows or Mac. However, it is not possible to purchase the software.
Price : The plugins and extensions are free, but there is also a Premium version that has three payment options ($ 13.99 per month, $89.88 per year, or $167.76 every two years). Note the current 30% discount on all subscriptions.
Pros and Cons : Great for being able to translate your text, create a personal glossary and have some sort of tutor to improve your writing. On the other hand, the failure to detect plagiarism and prolixity is criticized and the time needed to correct errors is considered excessive.
Final judgment : we recommend one of the paid plans, even if considered more expensive than the other alternatives on the market, since the free version offers minimal functionality and is available for a limited time. Excellent tool for those who do not have a good knowledge of English.
5. ProWritingAid
What it is and how it works : ProWritingAid is an application very similar to Grammarly, therefore a grammar, spelling and punctuation checker, which also offers style suggestions and feedback for writing in English.
The service can be integrated with Google Docs or Microsoft Word, installed on your browser as an extension or used via the desktop application for Windows.
Price : There is a free version for a limited time and two types of paid plans, one for $20 per month and the other for $ 79 per year. In addition, it is also possible to take out a subscription with no expiration at a cost of $299.
Read Also: List of Best English Learning Apps 2022
Pros and cons : positively evaluated the particularly convenient tariff plans, considering the excellent features and the many lexical and style suggestions offered, as well as the possibility of integration with Scrivener, HTML or OpenDocument. The only flaw? It is not available for mobile devices, both Android and iOS.
Final judgment : highly recommended especially for those who make writing their job, even if slightly more difficult to use due to the less intuitive layout.
6. LanguageTool
What it is and how it works : LanguageTool is an open source software that takes care of correcting grammatical, spelling, punctuation and style errors in your texts, analyzing the context to offer ad hoc suggestions in more than 20 languages.
You will be able to access the service through the desktop version, available only for Macs, to be used offline, or through the extensions for your browser and plug-in for Google Docs, Microsoft Word and LibreOffice.
Price : offers four different options, one free and three paid plans, currently discounted by 20%. Individual users can choose to pay monthly ($19.90), quarterly ($39), annually ($59.9) or every two years ($99). In addition, there is also a version for teams of up to 20 members at a cost of $37.75 per year for each user, currently subject to a discount of 28%. For those who have the skills, there is also the possibility to install the software (which is open source) independently on its own server (see the project page on Github).
Pros and cons: No installation required (just like Hemingway), provides a customizable dictionary and identifies incorrect numbers and email addresses. However, the free version is very simple and limited, and even the paid versions have a character limit.
Final judgment: overall it offers a basic grammar correction compared to the other applications seen so far, but gives the possibility to gain access to the API for developers, particularly useful for software companies and publishers.
7. WhiteSmoke
What it is and how it works: WhiteSmoke also detects grammatical, spelling, punctuation and style errors, also offering a translation service and a dictionary with more than 50 languages.
It is compatible with all browsers and, if desired, you can install the desktop version for Windows or Mac. It is compatible with Microsoft Word, Outlook and Google Docs.
Price: there are three tariff plans corresponding to the Web, Premium and Business version, both with annual payment (59.95, 79.95 or 137.95 dollars) and three-year (124.95, 199.95 or 317.50 dollars) . Currently all prices are subject to a 50% discount.
Pros and cons: a novelty compared to other software of this type is that it offers 100 templates for letters, CVs and various documents, but the lack of intuitiveness, the lack of a free web extension and a free trial period are negatively evaluated. the inability to import documents.
Final judgment: Much cheaper than other tools on the market. However, the templates offered, although excellent additional functionality, are not essential for writing.